Afterwards
by becka-h
Summary: Galla and Tortall are at war, and Daine and Numair are headding out to seek peace. But as they set out Numair discoves a secert about Daine. What will hapen to the two? And what about the war? Will the king get his peace with Galla?
1. The Begining

"I don't care anymore!" Screamed an angered six-teen year old. She walked back to her room, her brown curls swinging around her as she quickly turned around to se her mentor. "I will not ever return!"

"Please Magelet," he begged. His eyes pleaded at the young wild mage. "I promise nothing will happen."

"I know that!" she snapped. And with that she slammed the door in his face. She had not meant to be angry with her mentor Numair, but she could hardly return to the old snowy mountains of Galla, _especially_ to snowsdale. She sat on the edge of her bed looking down at her feet. Now more than ever she wished that she could vanish without a trace.

"Daine," she heard Numair's voice from the other side of the door. She pretended she hadn't, although that would hardly stop him from getting in. A soft trill filled her ears and with an almost silent click the door swung open. He stood there, beside him, the blue-scaled dragon, Kitten. The dragon looked at her and immediately turned gray. She turned around to face her headboard. She did not want to have him see her crying. Footsteps came toward her and a hand cupped her face. He kneeled down so he became eyelevel with her. Tears streamed down her face. "

"You don't understand," she murmured quietly. He positioned her face to look at him. She stared into his eyes; they were wells that she could fall in. Kitten had left to go to the stabled were she would get more attention. Staring into her eyes Numair gently pushed his lips against hers. When he pulled away Daine flung her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"Magelet," he said whispering into her ear. She felt a ting of lightning shoot to her stomach. "Please." She pulled back to look at him.

"Promise, Promise you wont think badly of me when," she had trouble voicing her words, "they all…" she was cut off by a kiss from him. This was deeper than the last.

"Never." He said kissing her again.

* * *

**Chapter One

* * *

**

Almost the whole ride to Galla, Daine had been moody. Grumbling, she took kitten off her horse and proceeded to make camp. Numair had been worried about her.

_You are awfully grumpy _Cloud had said. The horse new a lot, but that didn't mean anything to the wild mage.

_ You're getting heavier too._

"What would you know?" Daine had shouted. Numair and kitten looked at her worried.

_ I am the one who carries you. _

Daine began to feel guilt rise from her bones. You know I didn't mean that Cloud. She went to him and started to stroke his side.

_ The stork man is worried about you. He thinks it was something he did to make you this way. _

After she had washed their plates and added wood to the fire, she took a seat by the older mage. She leaned on his shoulder. He remained still, as if he didn't notice Daine was near.

"Numair?" She said silently. She scooted in front of him. She took one of his hands. "Numair, I'm sorry I have been acting the way I've been." She took his hand and put it to her face. "I love you," she added quietly. He looked at her. Slowly his hand started to slide down from her face to her belly. She jumped up, staring at him with wide eyes. He stood up. Looking down at her.

"Daine," his voice shook, "How long…have you..."

"6 months. That is why…. I didn't want to come." She looked down ashamed. No matter how much she loved Numair, he would never want to raise a child with a bastard.

_ Oh stop feeling sorry for yourself! _Cloud snapped.

_ The stork-man would do no such thing as to leave. If he even attempted he would soon see the last of his days._

Daine kept staring at her feet, not daring to look up at Numair.

---

Prince Jonathan strode up and down the palace halls. He worried about Daine and Numair. The threats from Galla were becoming more and more dangerous. Raiders burned precious farmland, and killed innocent people. Even Alanna, The Kings Champion, couldn't stop them. They need peace, and it was up to Daine and Numair to get it!

"Sir." A man met him toward the eastern end of the long hallway. Jonathan looked up to see Gary. He looked weary and bags under his eyes proved that he had not had much sleep. It seemed so long ago when he, Alanna (who was still masquerading as a boy), Gary, and Roul had been naming Alanna's cat Faithful. Yes, it seemed to be too long.

"Yes?" The king asked, not wanting to await the answer the man was soon to give him.

"More raiders have been sighted," he started, "It seems to be that they have Ogres on their side now.

"I thought they had went back to the Divine Realms."

"So it was thought."

The king sighed. The immortals were back. _Just what they needed,_ the king thought sarcastically.


	2. Aida Lou

* * *

DISCLAMER: 

I don't own Tamora Pierce's characters; in fact I own nothing but a few pennies under the laundry mats dryer.

Thanks for the generous reviews!

mmmQuinn  
2006-12-07  
ch 1, reply

Excited to read the rest, keep up the good work!

Tamora Pierce Luva  
2006-12-05  
ch 1, reply

I really like your story, keep going

* * *

Numair stared at her. "6 months?" he whispered. Even if she were six months she would be a lot bigger than that. Daine was still looking down at her feet. A bunny had come up to her and was chatting away merrily. Finally she looked up onto his eyes. This wind was cold and biting her bare arms with its cold soon to be fall bite. Leaves rustled and animals moved about in the brush. 

"I've been," Daine's soft voice began, "Morphing my stomach to seem smaller." She looked away. _I told you didn't I? _She said to Cloud.

_I told you, now he's going to leave. _She stood up from where she sat. The nearest inn was only an hour's walk.

"Daine."

Daine shifted her eyes down to her feet.

"Daine." Numair spoke again. His voice was firm, but soft all the same.

"The nearest inn is not that far away, I think we should sleep there."

* * *

"Alanna!" George Cooper, the retired king of thieves swooped his wife into his arms. "I thought you to have left! If I waited any longer I might of grown old!" Alanna laughed and kissed him. 

"Your already old George! Now put me down."

"Aye, I am." George sat her down. It had been a long time since the last visit here.

"And how was he who made me leave my throne and made me into a respectable man?" George asked smiling. Old Saloon had brought them a drink.

"Before I tell you how was your meeting with the unrespectable King?" Alanna had asked him this with a look in her eye.

"We had a jolly old time. Lets sit for a while while I tell you about it. Aye, it's been along time since we've been here."

* * *

A woman of the age 26 was staring down at an inn. Yellow fire was surrounding her hands; controlled by pure energy. She gripped her dagger. 

"Easy now," she told herself quietly. Just moments ago the two people she had been watching for a couple of days just entered. The dark haired woman had put her horse in the stable. She had been awkward around the man staying mainly by her horse.

"Boys!" she yelled out into the open. Two boys around seven or eight and a man who seemed as old as she was ran to her. "You know the plan."

* * *

Daine and Numair sat at a table. The inn had kitchen. Both were silent, they were silent the way to the inn, and they have both been silent since the news had been broken. A few tears dropped down Daine's face and onto the wooden table. 

"Get off me!" two boys seemed to be fighting over a bronze coin found underneath a table not to far away. Finding something to distract her, Daine watched as they wrested with each other. One of the boys had short brown hair and big green eyes the other, had curly brown hair with the same eyes. Daine guessed they were brothers. Silently she got up and walked over to them.

"Here." The wild mage had flipped another bronze coin to the pair.

"Now you each have one."

An invisible force slammed into Daine making her loose her footing. She grabbed onto a table for support. Kitten and Numair ran to her helping her regain the footing. The Smokey inn had become silent. Kitten was chattering angerly at the fire place.

"Are you alright?" Numair asked hugging her. He was searching around with his mind to look for unwanted visitors. "Daine?" he asked. Numair looked down.

She was gone. And so was Kitten.

* * *

"Very good." The 26 year old woman stared down at all of them. Two boys, a man, and one girl. She was unconscious. She flipped a silver coin to the three men. 

"You never said there would be a mage and a dragon Aida!" the mad said. He watched her with his blue eyes. He was shivering. br br

"So there was a few mishaps, the girls alive you got your pay now leave the rest to me!" she said waving her hand.

* * *


	3. The Language of time

Thanks for the reviews! Sorry I'm so slow at updating, I only get to go onto the computer not very often.  So please go easy on me! X-Mas was horrible by the way. To many drunken fights. But enough with my blabber, On with the story!

* * *

Tamora Pierce Luva  
2006-12-17  
ch 2, reply

please write more - or the vhipmunks will get you hehhehehhe - sorry had to say that. plz write more - especially wen daine is back with numair coz i want to c his reaciotns about da baby

GinaStar  
2006-12-17  
ch 2, reply

Very interesting!

MyLadyTopaz  
2006-12-17  
ch 2, reply

Good chapter, the first post of it was a little confusing but this one is really clear, good job!  
Rock On!!

mmmQuinn  
2006-12-07  
ch 1, reply

Excited to read the rest, keep up the good work!

* * *

"Very good." The 26 year old woman stared down at all of them. Two boys, a man, and one girl. She was unconscious. She flipped a silver coin to the three men. 

"You never said there would be a mage and a dragon Aida!" the mad said. He watched her with his blue eyes. He was shivering.

"So there was a few mishaps, the girls alive you got your pay now leave the rest to me!" she said waving her hand.

* * *

Daine felt a lump on her head. Her vision was blurred, but she could just make out a blurred figure sitting over the fire. Reaching out with her magic, she felt a young bats mind. 

I _Where am I young sister/I _Daine asked. Her vision was beginning to return. br br I You are in the hands of Aida, in that is what they have been saying I Daine looked at the figure. A very pale woman with long curly brown hair strung up into a ponytail. She was wearing a white shirt with a gold sash around her waist. He legs were lined with black breeches that have been tucked into black boots. A yellow fire gleamed around her hands.

"Ah, so she awakes." The woman stared at Daine. She must of sensed Daine's brown eyes looking at her. "If I may, I am Aida Lou," she said walking over and squatting by Daine, "The queen rouge." The yellow fire had vanished. She grabbed Daine's hand and yanked her to her feet. Daine looked at her and smiled.

"It t'was nice meeting you _mistress Aida_ , but I must be off." Daine reached into herself and pulled on the copper fire that brimmed within her. Instantly she became a jet-black hawk. This way she would blend in with her forest surroundings.

"ANDIAX JE LANDI JEN-DABBA!"

Daine fell down. Thinking quickly she changed into a cat; landing on her feet.

"JEN-DABBA!" The rouge shouted again. Daine instantly regained her true form as a pink, patchy furred, human.

"You are Daine of Snowsdale are you not?!" She put her left foot on Daine's chest. "You are a wild mage are you not?!"

Daine looked around. Where was Numair? Where was Kitten?

"HAUI!" Daine's mouth opened without her consent.

"Yes I am" Words were making their way through her thought and out her mouth.

"Then may I ask why did you not head our call? Why did your king do nothing in our time of chaos?" Speechless Daine tried to scrap her brains for anything that she might of heard of. Nothing came to her mind.

"HAUI!" Aida yelled again. This time no words came out of her mouth. Nothing had tried to escape her thought. Aida Lou looked sown at her. Glaring she removed her foot.

"Not informational but still not useless." She muttered throwing Daine a blanket

* * *

Roul looked around. "Retreat!" he yelled. His men were not enough for these kinds of numbers. Galla warriors had sprung a surprise attack from behind camp. Their army doubled the size of their small scout troop. Men were fighting off the Galla invaders with their swords, trying to pull back. Swords clanged together, blood was everywhere, and no one was moving but Galla's forces. "Run Fools!"

* * *

Numair is next chapter! 


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